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Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
 I just attended the Green Shoe Gala Friday night 4/16 at the Visitors Center at Shelby Farms. What a blast! If you don’t know, it’s a benefit for the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, the non-profit group managing Shelby Farms. They are going to make a world-class park here in Memphis for us citizens, much like the Memphis Zoological Society did for the zoo. When we moved to Memphis in 1978, the Zoo was downright embarrassing. Now it’s a crown jewel.
But they need our help. Time, treasure, talent, whatever you can spare. The park is truly a gift that will keep on giving to this area for generations. Its great now, but it can be so much more. I know it’s not the Smokies or the Rockies, it’s not the Grand Canyon, but it’s what we’ve got. We have the Wolf River. We have the Mississippi River. And we have Shelby Farms Park, so lets make the most of it.
Yes, my wife is on the Conservancy Board, so I’ll get points for writing this. But actually, I have used the park more than she has. As a personal fitness trainer, I have taken clients there to run, bike, or walk, or recommended it to them for those activities on their own. I love it, and I’m going to help the Conservancy realize their vision for it. I hope you will too.
Whew, that’s the most cheerleading I’ve done in a while. Now get out and enjoy what Shelby Farms Park has to offer.
Tags: Good Things, Memphis, Shelby Farms
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Monday, April 12th, 2010
 For years, I have been joking with my longtime clients about how my role has changed, at least in part, from – pick one: exercise guru, task master, drill sergeant, meanie, masochist, etc – to more like a bartender. Monday night on the Marketplace show on NPR, I heard a story about faith and fitness which quoted a personal trainer saying that she was a cross between a therapist and a bartender. She said she often prayed with her clients about some problem. I have never done that, but I have prayed for clients.
In addition to supervising exercise, stimulating conversation, and providing witty repartee, I listen. Clients tell me about work, family, friends – their lives – and I tell them about mine. Joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, all kinds of stuff. Occasionally, we tread on dicey territory, but not often, and I’ve never had to tell a client they were out of bounds. Nor have they had to tell me.
In some of my trade journals, we are told to keep things strictly professional, keep it about exercise, don’t get personal! How can you not get a little personal with someone whose sweaty feet you are holding while they do oblique crunches on a stability ball? Its PERSONAL training, after all. I think we have to provide a sympathetic ear, be a sounding board, empathize with our clients and rejoice with them. We all need connections in this world. There are some days that I spend more time with any one client than I do with my wife.
But, I limit my advice and counsel to exercise and nutrition matters. I don’t do parenting or marital therapy, I don’t solve problems, and I only occasionally make suggestions. And despite the temptation, I never smack a client upside the head, even if that is what they need. I stay within my scope of practice.
I regard listening as one of my more important professional skills, but it’s not covered in any certification or continuing education curriculum that I know of.
Set ‘em up, Trainer!
Tags: Fitness, personal training
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Thursday, April 8th, 2010
 photo by Gaetan Lee As those who know me realize, I am a Costco addict – to the extent that I actually look through their magazine, The Costco Connection. Well, the April 2010 issue has an article on brain fitness, and it got me thinking… see, its working! I think, therefore my brain is fit!
Basically, the article says that there is much new research to show that we can keep generating new brain cells as we age, and that the structure and function of our brains can keep changing. But, for that to happen, guess what? We have to use our brains, we have to keep challenging them. A brain is just like muscle – use it or lose it. So, there are now gyms for the brain and personal trainers for the brain (personal brainers?). Of course, you can buy software and video games to stimulate your brain or you can go back to school or learn a new language.
The article recommends 5 healthy lifestyle factors for brain development:
- Socialization
- PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (my personal favorite)
- Spirituality
- Mental Stimulation
- Nutrition
Stop thinking about it and get busy! Wait, don’t stop thinking. If you’re confused, puzzle it out. Then leave a comment and let me know what ways you keep exercising your brain.
Tags: Fitness, healthy brain, mental fitness
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Friday, April 2nd, 2010
As we all know, there are a lot of obese Americans – 33% of adults and 16% of kids. Another 33% of adults are overweight, at least some of whom could be considered pre-obese. Memphians are all too aware of this, since we are considered one of the most obese cities in the country.
The World Health Organization and both the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health all consider obesity to be a disease. The arguments for this are that obesity impairs body function, decreases life expectancy, and can be inherited. If you compare obesity to hypertension, their causes and effects are very similar. But hypertension is internal to the body and unseen from the outside, while obesity is very apparent to the eye, and we as a society are prejudiced against obesity and obese people.
The flip side is that the most common causes of obesity are matters of personal choice and that many obese people do not have the impairments or conditions that obesity can cause. Obesity triggers other diseases but is not a disease in and of itself. This side of the argument states that we can control the causes of obesity.
What do I think? Well I’m just a personal trainer and this is a complicated issue. I agree with both sides. There are some people who have the knowledge and ability to maintain a healthy weight, but don’t. There are others who are economically and/or educationally disadvantaged and don’t know how – but could if they did. Some people have psychological or emotional conditions that interfere with weight control. Some inherit the genes that make weight control difficult.
It is interesting to me that both sides of the argument say that we as a society have to do a much better job of incenting the production and consumption of healthy foods in healthy amounts instead of unhealthy ones in huge amounts. And we have to value using our bodies for movement instead of sedentariness. Both sides advocate healthy eating and exercise for all people – obese, overweight, normal weight or underweight. So I make out either way!
What do you think?
Tags: healthy eating, obesity, weight
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Thursday, March 11th, 2010
If you use a computer, you are at risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Here’s a cheat sheet for preventing or reducing the risk of getting CTS from computer use:
- Set up your screen so that the top of it is level with your eyes when you sit up correctly.
- Sit up straight and tall with both feet on the floor or footrest.
- Use a padded wrist rest to reduce arm and shoulder discomfort.
- Place the keyboard at elbow height, with a slight incline.
- Take frequent breaks to stretch and move around.
- Move your hands away from mouse or keyboard when not typing.
- Change positions often, especially neck, arms and wrists; stand up often.
Tags: Fitness
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
That’s a great quote from the Apollo 13 mission. Despite numerous problems, and let’s call them mini-failures, along the way, NASA did manage to get the Apollo 13 spacecraft safely back to earth.
Does that maybe sound a little like some of your New Years resolutions? If not this year, in past years? How many times have we all had mini-failures in our efforts to eat better, exercise more and lose weight?
What matters is not how many failures we have, it’s how many times we try again.
Failure is an opportunity to figure out what went wrong that time, and plot a strategy for success on the next try. Perhaps you modify the goal, or the path to reach the goal, or both.
Failure is really the successful elimination of another plan that did not work.
Everybody fails at some time and at some thing. Successful people learn from failure and move on. People who are perceived as being a success are undoubtedly failing at something else at the same time.
One of my constant battles is not to get down on myself while playing golf. I tend to get mad at myself for missing a shot, which often leads to another bad shot, and another. Since I began making a concerted effort to swing the golf club NATO, I have improved my score, my game, my handicap, and my fun.
So, how do you overcome failure? And who can tell me what NATO means?
Tags: Fitness, resolutions, weight loss
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Monday, February 8th, 2010
Well, this round of white stuff came out of nowhere! Given the quickly changing nature of Memphis weather, here’s our policy for inclement weather:
Due to the individual nature of our services, the unpredictability of Mid-South weather forecasts and of school officials’ reaction to them, Healthy Habits will not have a blanket closing policy for inclement weather. Here is what we do have:
1. No matter the forecast, all workouts are assumed to be ON, except as below.
2. Check with your trainer/client before the scheduled time. You should have each others’ cell phone numbers after your first workout. If both trainer and client are comfortable, willing and able to brave the elements to workout, then please do so. If either party is not willing, then the session is canceled and the normal charge for canceling within 24 hours will be waived due to inclement weather.
3. Client and trainer may decide their own blanket policy – for example, you may together decide that anytime schools are closed, then the workouts are canceled because either or both of you will have kids to take care of. Be sure to communicate which school closures are included.
4. Please remember that Brookhaven is not heavily traveled and may stay icy longer than busy streets. Also, there are no guarantees that our parking lot and exterior walks will be cleared, so if you decide to workout, you proceed at your own risk.
Tags: policy
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